System and method for independent retention and release of individually stowed flight control surfaces

Abstract

An aircraft is provided comprising: a fuselage, a first tail fin rotatably mounted to a first lateral side and a second tail fin rotatably mounted to the second lateral side. A wing body is rotatably mounted to the underside of the fuselage. A pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices are provided to independently latch the first tail fin and the second tail fin when the wing body having a first angle is in a stowed position with respect to the fuselage, to independently unlatch the first tail fin in response to a second angle of the wing body with respect to the fuselage, and to independently unlatch the second tail fin in response to a third angle of the wing body with respect to the fuselage. The first angle, second angle and third angle are different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices to independently latch a first tail fin and a second tail fin when a wing body is stowed at a first angle along an underside of a fuselage of a flight vehicle, each tail fin latch and release device comprises:
 a release pin column configured to be mounted in a shoulder of the fuselage, the release pin column including an elongated channel having an opposite end open through the fuselage; 
 a spring biased release pin being spring biased in the elongated channel, the spring biased release pin comprising a collar, a first end configured to latch to a respective one tail fin in a latched state and a second end configured to ride along a top wing surface of the wing body during deployment of the wing body, the first end and second end being separated by the collar; and 
 a spring positioned with the column and spiraled around the first end to bias the spring biased release pin in an unlatched state such that as the wing body clears the second end, the spring pushes the spring biased release pin through the underside of the fuselage to unlatch the respective one tail fin. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein each tail fin latch and release device further comprises a retention pin coupled to the release pin column to retain the spring biased release pin in the column. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices comprises a first tail fin latch and release device and a second tail fin latch and release device wherein the spring biased release pin of the first tail fin latch and release device is longer than the spring biased released pin of the second tail fin latch and release device. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first release pin catch pocket in the first tail fin configured to receive the first end of the spring biased release pin of the first tail fin latch and release device; and 
 a second release pin catch pocket in the second tail fin configured to receive the first end of the spring biased release pin of the second tail fin latch and release device. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated channel has a first diameter; the collar has a second diameter; the first end having a third diameter; and the second end having a fourth diameter, wherein:
 the third diameter is less than the second diameter; 
 the second diameter is less than the first diameter; and 
 the fourth diameter less than the second diameter. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices comprises a first tail fin latch and release device and a second tail fin latch and release device wherein:
 the first tail fin latch and release device independently unlatches the first tail fin in response to a second angle of deployment of the wing body with respect to the fuselage; and 
 the second tail fin latch and release device independently unlatches the second tail fin in response to a third angle of deployment of the wing body with respect to the fuselage, the first angle, second angle, and third angle are different angles. 
 
     
     
       7. An aircraft comprising:
 a fuselage having a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a top surface, an underside and a longitudinal axis; 
 a first tail fin rotatably mounted to the first lateral side; 
 a second tail fin rotatably mounted to the second lateral side; 
 a wing body rotatably mounted to the underside of the fuselage, the wing body comprising a top wing surface; and 
 a pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices to independently latch the first tail fin and the second tail fin when the wing body having a first angle is in a stowed position with respect to the fuselage, to independently unlatch the first tail fin in response to a second angle of the wing body with respect to the fuselage, and to independently unlatch the second tail fin in response to a third angle of the wing body with respect to the fuselage, the first angle, second angle and third angle are different angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage wherein each tail fin latch and release device comprises: a release pin column configured to be mounted to the fuselage, the release pin column including an elongated channel having an opposite end open through the fuselage from the top surface to the underside; a spring biased release pin being spring biased in the elongated channel, the spring biased release pin comprising a collar, a first end configured to latch to a respective one tail fin in a latched state and a second end configured to ride along the top wing surface of the wing body during deployment of the wing body, the first end and second end being separated by the collar; and a spring positioned with the column and spiraled around the first end to bias the spring biased release pin in an unlatched state such that as the wing body clears the second end, the spring pushes the spring biased release pin through the underside of the fuselage to unlatch the respective one tail fin. 
 
     
     
       8. The aircraft of  claim 7 , wherein each tail fin latch and release device further comprises a retention pin coupled to the release pin column to retain the spring biased release pin in the column. 
     
     
       9. The aircraft of  claim 8 , wherein the pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices comprises a first tail fin latch and release device and a second tail fin latch and release device wherein the spring biased release pin of the first tail fin latch and release device is longer than the spring biased released pin of the second tail fin latch and release device. 
     
     
       10. The aircraft of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first release pin catch pocket in the first tail fin configured to receive the first end of the spring biased release pin of the first tail fin latch and release device; and 
 a second release pin catch pocket in the second tail fin configured to receive the first end of the spring biased release pin of the second tail fin latch and release device. 
 
     
     
       11. The aircraft of  claim 7 , wherein the elongated channel has a first diameter; the collar has a second diameter; the first end having a third diameter; and the second end having a fourth diameter, wherein:
 the third diameter is less than the second diameter; 
 the second diameter is less than the first diameter; and 
 the fourth diameter less than the second diameter. 
 
     
     
       12. The aircraft of  claim 7 , wherein the pair of independent tail fin latch and release devices comprises a first tail fin latch and release device and a second tail fin latch and release device wherein:
 the first tail fin latch and release device independently unlatches the first tail fin in response to movement of the wing body to the second angle with respect to the fuselage; and 
 the second tail fin latch and release device independently unlatches the second tail fin in response to movement of the wing body to the third angle with respect to the fuselage. 
 
     
     
       13. A method comprising:
 independently latching, by a first independent tail fin latch and release device, a first tail fin coupled to a fuselage of an aircraft when a wing body has a first angle in a stowed position with respect to an underside of the fuselage; 
 independently latching, by a second independent tail fin latch and release device, a second tail fin to the fuselage of the aircraft when the wing body has the first angle in the stowed position with respect to the underside of the fuselage; 
 independently unlatching, by a first independent tail fin latch and release device, the first tail fin in response to a second angle of the wing body with respect to the underside of the fuselage; and 
 independently unlatching, by a second independent tail fin latch and release device, the second tail fin in response to a third angle of the wing body with respect to the underside of the fuselage, the first angle, second angle and third angle are different angles with respect to a longitudinal axis of the fuselage wherein each tail fin latch and release device of the first tail fin latch and release device and the second tail fin latch and release device comprises: a release pin column configured to be mounted to the fuselage, the release pin column including an elongated channel having an opposite end open through the fuselage from a top surface of the fuselage to the underside of the fuselage; a spring biased release pin being spring biased in the elongated channel, the spring biased release pin comprising a collar, a first end configured to latch to a respective one tail fin in a latched state and a second end configured to ride along a top wing surface of the wing body during deployment of the wing body, the first end and second end being separated by the collar; and a spring positioned with the column and spiraled around the first end to bias the spring biased release pin in an unlatched state such that as the wing body clears the second end, the spring pushes the spring biased release pin through the underside of the fuselage to unlatch the respective one tail fin. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprises a retention pin coupled to the release pin column to retain the spring biased release pin in the column. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 independently biasing the spring biased release pin of the first tail fin latch and release device in the unlatched state; and 
 independently biasing the spring biased release pin of the second tail fin latch and release device in the unlatched state. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the elongated channel has a first diameter; the collar has a second diameter; the first end having a third diameter; and the second end having a fourth diameter, wherein:
 the third diameter is less than the second diameter; 
 the second diameter is less than the first diameter; and 
 the fourth diameter less than the second diameter. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage is approximately 0° 
 the second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage is less than 90°; and 
 the third angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage is approximately 90°.